Directive reading lamp



1962 R. L. GOOLSBY DIRECTIVE READING LAMP Filed May 23, 1960 ROBERT L. GOOLSBY IN V EN TOR.

FIG3

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiicc 3,062,954 Patented Nov. 6, 1962 3,062,954 DIRECTIVE READING LAMP Robert L. Goolsby, 937 E. Indian, Midwest City, Okla.

- Filed May 23, 1960, Ser. No. 30,926

3 Claims. (Cl. 24046.03)

The present invention relates to lamps and more particularly to a reading lamp.

Some individuals like to read in bed and it is desirable to provide a means of illuminating the reading material without disturbing other individuals occupying the same room. The prior art reveals a number of bed lamps of different design but none of them provide a means for positively restricting or directing light rays toward a selected area.

The principal Object of the instant invention is to provide a reading lamp having a shade which may be adjustably positioned for interrupting the light rays from a single source.

Another object is to provide a reading lamp which may be connected with the headboard of a bed, or the like, and adjusted to provide illumination for either side of the head portion of the bed while shading the opposite head portion.

Still another object is to provide a bed lamp of this clas which may be adjusted for interrupting substantially all of the light rays and thus provide a limited amount of illumination.

Another object is to provide a bed lamp shade of simple construction and relatively small size which will effectively illuminate either side or the entire head portion of a bed and which may be removably connected thereto.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing a horizontal support having opposing depending side walls and pivoting end members connected to the respective ends of the support for movement toward and away from lamp means depending from the lower surface of the support.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the device;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal vertical cross-sectional view thereof; and,

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view, to an enlarged scale, taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates a bed lamp, as a whole, comprising a lamp shade 12, including, a rectangular horizontally disposed support 14 having opposing side members 16 and 18 connected in depending parallel relation to opposing side edges of the support 14. The respective side members 16 and 18, each have downwardly diverging end edges 20-22 and 2426 and form an isosceles trapezoid when viewed in side elevation. A conventional lamp socket 28 is connected to the central portion of the support 14 for receiving a lamp 30 in depending relation. A pair of end members or panels 32 and 34 close the respective end portions of the shade and are each interdigitately connected at one end to the respective ends of the support 14 to form hinges 36 and 38. The length of the end members 32 and 34 are substantially equal to the respective inclined edges of the side members 16 and 18 and when pivoted inwardly toward the lamp 30 their depending free end edges meet at a central position adjacent the lowermost edge surface of the respective side members 16 and 18.

Referring to FIG. 2, the end panel, or member 32, is

shown pivoted toward the bulb 30. The panel 32 is held in this position by a spring urged ball 40 installed in the opposing depending edge surfaces of each panel 32 and 34, engaged within a suitable socket, or recess 42, cooperatively positioned on the inward surface of the side members 16 and 18; thus, as seen in FIG. 2, light rays, indicated by the lines 44, illuminate a restricted area below and toward the right hand end of the lamp shade 12. Similarly the panel member 34 may be pivoted toward the lamp 30 and maintained in this position by the recesses 42, as indicated by dotted lines (FIG. 2), for interrupting light rays below that end of the shade while the panel 32 may be pivoted to its dotted line position to permit illuminating an area adjacent the left hand end of the lamp shade. Thus the ball members 40, removably engaged within the recesses 42, positively position the panels 32 and 34 parallel with the respective diverging end edge surfaces of the side members 16 and 18 when pivoted outwardly of the lamp 30. Similarly both panels 32 and 34 may be pivoted toward the lamp 30 wherein their depending end edges are disposed in closely spaced relation to interrupt substantially all of the light rays from the lamp, thus confining substantially all of the illumination to an area directly below the shade.

A wire-like bracket member 50 is connected to the upper surface of the support 14 and projects laterally of one side of the shade. The bracket 50 is bent to define a pair of hook-shaped loop portions 52 and 54 in spacedapart relation for co-operatingly contacting a portion of the headboard of a bed, not shown, and supporting the shade 12 in the position illustrated.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A reading lamp shade, comprising: a horizontally disposed rectangular support adapted to support a lamp equipped socket in depending relation; a pair of side members connected, respectively, by one side edge to opposing side edge portions of said support in parallel depending relation, Said side members each having opposing end edge surfaces extending downwardly in diverging relation, said side members each having recesses formed on their inward surfaces in spaced-apart relation adjacent their de pending edges; a pair of end panels hingedly connected at one end portion to the respective end edge portion of said support between said side members, the length of said end panels being substantially equal to the length of the respective diverging end edge surface of said side members, the opposing side edges of said end panels each having a socket adjacent and parallel with respect to its depending end edge; and means for holding said end panels at extreme vertically pivoted positions toward and away from said lamp, said means including a ball freely received within each socket in said end panels and a spring interposed between each said ball and the surface defining the innermost end of the respective socket for urging each said ball toward the respective recesses in said side members.

2. A reading lamp, comprising: a downwardly open lamp equipped shade, said shade including a rectangular support; side members secured, respectively, by one edge portion to opposing side edge portions of said support in parallel depending relation, said side-members each having downwardly diverging opposing end edge surfaces and having recesses formed on their inward surfaces in spacedapart relation adjacent their depending edges; end closure panels each hingedly connected at one end portion in depending relation to the end portions of said support between said side members, the length of said panel members being substantially equal to the length of the respective diverging end edge surfaces of said side members, the opposing side edges of said panel members each having a socket adjacent and parallel with respect to its depending end edge; bracket means extending laterally of said support for maintaining said support horizontal, said bracket means comprising a wire-like member connected at its respective ends to said support and being bent, intermediate its ends, to form at least one hook-shaped loop adapted to engage a portion of the headboard of a bed; and means for holding said end closure panels at extreme vertically pivoted positions toward and away from said lamp, said means including a ball freely receivedwithin each socket in said panel members, and a spring interposed between each said ball and the surface defining the innermost end of the respective socket for urging each said ball toward the respective recesses in said side members.

3. A reading lamp, comprising: a downwardly open lamp equipped shade, said shade including a rectangular support; a pair of isosceles trapezoidal shaped side members secured, respectively, by one edge portion to opposing side edge portions of said support in parallel depending relation, said side members each having recesses formed on their inward surfaces in spaced-apart relation adjacent their depending edges; end closure panels each hingedly connected at one end portion in depending relation to the ends portions of said support between said side members, the length of said panel members being substantially equal to the length of the respective end edge surfaces of said side members, the opposing side edges of said panel members each having a socket formed between its inner and outer-surfaces adjacent and parallel with respect to its'depending edge; bracket means extend ing laterally of said support for maintaining said support horizontal, said bracket means comprising a wire-like member connected at its respective ends to said support and being bent, intermediate its ends, to form at leastone hook-shaped loop adapted to engage a portion of the headboard of a bed; and means for holding said end closure panels when pivoted toward and away from said lamp, said means including a ball freely received within each socket in said panel members and a spring interposed betweeneach said ball and the surface defining the innermost end of the respective socket for urging each said ball toward the respective recesses in said side members. 

